Flowers have long been a special gift for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and many other special occasions. However, the gift of flowers only lasts for a short time. Within a few short days or weeks, cut flowers wilt and die unless they have been properly preserved.
Over time, various approaches to preserving flowers have been developed. These include freeze drying, hang drying, use of silica gels and sand mixtures, and spraying with the various compounds such as polyurethane, hairspray, and shellac. However, none of these approaches is fully satisfactory in terms of the shelf life achieved, the ability to achieve a lasting, pleasant aroma, and/or providing suitable coloration.
Additionally, desired scents and colorations, if any, are frequently introduced after the flower has already been preserved, rather than during the preservation process itself, which makes these susceptible to wearing off over time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,723,407 observes that “[t]o avoid full exhaustion of nutrients in cut flowers, it is known that a saccharide such as sugar is added to vase water. The effects of these additives can however be varying and are not always attainable to a noticeable extent.” (column 2, lines 5–8). This patent goes on to disclose a sulfonylsemicarbazide derivative composition for preserving the cut flower freshness of the general formula: Thereafter, in column 12, lines 52–61, this patent states that, in reference to the compound (I), “[a]djuvants such as . . . saccharides . . . may be incorporated therein further, as needed. Further, the composition . . . can also be formulated by mixing and diluting the compound of the general formula (I) appropriately with a solid carrier, for example . . . a saccharide.”
Thus, while a saccharide such as sugar is stated to be a suitable adjuvant (i.e., a helping or supplementary agent) to the composition (I), this patent does not disclose or suggest that a saccharide such as sugar might be fully capable of preserving flowers all by itself, and without combination with a further chemical composition such as (I). Indeed, the statement that “the effects of these additives can however be varying and are not always attainable to a noticeable extent” teaches clearly away from using a saccharide such as sugar all by itself and omitting any other preserving agent such as (I). Similarly, the entire thrust of this patent, which focuses throughout on synthesizing and using many different variations of the compound (I), makes clear that the compound of the general formula (I) is the “effective ingredient” (column 12, line 41), and that a saccharide such as sugar is merely an adjuvant. Nowhere does this patent disclose or suggest that a saccharide itself can work well as the sole “effective ingredient” for floral preservation. Nowhere is it disclosed or suggested that flowers can be similarly preserved by omitting the specialized compound (I), which is much less widely-available than sugar, and which is likely much more expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,175 teaches a method of making chewing gum by first mixing powdered “high-potency” (i.e., non-nutritive: col 3, lines 15–65) sweeteners, flavors, and/or acidulants with molten (at 130° C.) wax to make wax coated particles which are then incorporated into a chewing gum formulation (claim 1). While sugar is discussed (line 64) as a bulking agent which may be added to the sweeteners, there is no suggestion or teaching to use saccharides alone in the intermediate wax compositions in this non-analogous art reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,074 teaches preservation of dried flowers by treatment with an aqueous composition comprising a sugar based syrup (corn syrup) and detergent. There is no suggestion or teaching of replacing the detergent component with wax. GB 2,189,676 teaches the utility of a sugar constituent in combination with several other agents in cut flower preservation compositions. The utility of sugar alone as an active preservative and nutrient component is not suggested or taught. JP 6,183,903 discloses only that a “forming tablet for life prolongation of a cut flower is characterized by containing a life prolongation component and a foaming component composed of a carbonate and a water-soluble solid acid.” (see Patent Abstracts of Japan for JP 6,183,903)
JP 8,092,003 teaches the utility of coating cut flowers with a membrane forming composition which is preferably a water soluble polymer. Substitution of wax for the polymer, and further inclusion of a saccharide component is not suggested or taught. U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,839 teaches using wax compounds to avoid transpiration in plants, but nowhere does it disclose or suggest a combination with any form of saccharide or other nutrient. U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,424 teaches using orange peel wax, and a number of non-saccharide nutrients and preservatives. Use or substitution of a saccharide component, or of a saccharide component alone, is not suggested or taught.
While these references individually teach cut flower preservative compositions comprising wax or other coating materials in combination with nutritive and other agents such as bactericides and scents, no reference discloses or suggests limiting cut flower preserving compositions to low temperature wax and a saccharide component.
Additionally, none of these references disclose or suggest that if sugar or similar saccharides are mixed with paraffin, and if this mix is then used to coat the head of a flower, formaldehyde contained within this sugar or similar saccharides will be released from the paraffin mix over time, serving not only to feed the flower, but also to preserve/mummify the flower.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved device and method for preserving flowers which increases their shelf life substantially.
It is further desirable to integrate such an improved device and method for preserving flowers with an improved device and method to provide a lasting, pleasant aroma, and/or the ability to provide suitable coloration to the preserved flowers.